| Education |
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| Degree |
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| Bachelor of Science Honours, Major in Food Science |
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| Co-op Placement |
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| Employer |
Position |
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| Correctional Services Canada, National Headquarters Food Services Division |
Senior Project Officer |
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| What is your title, role, and host organization? |
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I am a Senior Project Officer with Correctional Service Canada (CSC) in the National Headquarters Food Services Division. I completed my last 2 COOP terms as a project officer with CSC and was fortunate to continue in my role after my COOP ended. As a project officer, I am responsible for developing policies, guidelines, and operational programs related to food production, food safety, and menu and recipe development for food services in federal penitentiaries across Canada. |
| How is your placement related to your field of study? Did any course(s) prepare you for this placement? |
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It’s surprising how much I draw on the courses I took at Carleton. My previous career as a Chef gave me a solid understanding of food service operations, but my Food Science degree has been invaluable. Knowledge gained from courses in Food Chemistry, Microbiology, Food Analysis, Food Processing, Food Packaging, Food Engineering, and Nutrition help me to analyse and understand issues related to my portfolio, while courses in Risk Analysis, Economics, Quality Control, Food Regulation, and Policy have given me the tools to communicate issues and collaborate on solutions with a wide range of stakeholders. |
| How is your placement impacting your future career goals and overall awareness of the job market in Food Science? |
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I entered the Food Science degree with the intent to move my career toward government food policy work. The coop program gave me the opportunity to experience a working environment I was unfamiliar with and to test out if my career move was actually what I envisioned. My placement at CSC was a helpful reminder that there are jobs for Food Scientists beyond what might be considered the “traditional” job market. |
| How have you grown professionally through your placement? |
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Working in an office is very different than working in a kitchen. Through my placement, I was able to develop cultural competencies of office and government work. I was also able to expand my network and grow the scope of my project management experience. Since I act in a national capacity to support food services operations in each region of Canada, I was also able to significantly improve my French language skills during my placement. |
| Do you have any advice for junior students in Food Science? |
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You don’t need to know what kind of job or career you want right now, or ever, really. Food impacts many different dimensions of people’s lives, and the world of food offers many different opportunities to gain experience and grow throughout your career. Take chances and seek experiences that are outside of your comfort zone. Remember that what you set out to learn and what you actually learn may be two completely different things, but no matter what the outcome, you will have learned something valuable to get you from where you are to where you are going. |
